The present invention relates primarily to garments which can protect the wearer against the hazards of exposure to radiation. More particularly, the present invention relates to breathable, lightweight garments containing radiopaque compounds, such as barium sulfate, that are particularly suitable for use by medical professionals and patients who are exposed to radiation from medical x-rays.
It is very common in medicine today to use x-rays for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. While these x-rays serve a beneficial medical purpose, they can also have harmful side effects for both the patient to whom the x-rays are directed and the medical workers who must administer x-rays on a day-to-day basis.
There have been a number of previous attempts to mitigate the harmful effects of x-rays through the design of radiopaque protective garments. Typically, these radiopaque garments consist of a stiff material, such as rubber, impregnated by lead or some other heavy metal which is capable of blocking x-rays. Examples of lead impregnated radiopaque garments can be found in Holland""s U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,799, Whittaker""s U.S. Pat. No. 3,883,749, Leguillon""s U.S. Pat. No. 3,045,121, Via""s U.S. Pat. No. 3,569,713 and Still""s U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,047.
While the lead filled prior art garments provide a good measure of protection against the harmful effects of x-rays, these prior art garments are often heavy, stiff, expensive, bulky and lacking in breathability. As such, these garments are often uncomfortable, cumbersome and restrictive. Also, there are sterility issues with these prior art garments because they are typically too bulky and expensive to dispose of after each use.
The present invention provides a breathable, lightweight material which has radiopaque qualities and is easy to produce. In the preferred embodiment, a lightweight fabric, such as a cloth surgical mask liner or an entire surgical mask, is impregnated with a lightweight radiopaque compound, such as barium sulfate, to impart radiopaque qualities.
Impregnation of the lightweight radiopaque compound can be performed in any number of ways, including soaking or dipping the fabric in a solution containing the lightweight radiopaque compound, using the fabric as a filter for a passing solution containing the lightweight radiopaque compound, placing the fabric in a reaction chamber between reagents that can react to form the lightweight radiopaque compound and creating the fabric incorporating one radiopaque compound reagent and then exposing it to a complementary reagent used to form the radiopaque compound. To improve the efficiency of impregnation, an adhesive, such as Gum Arabic or Guar Gum, can be added to either the fabric or the solution of lightweight radiopaque compound during the impregnation process.
Besides barium sulfate, other radiopaque substances which can be used for the present invention include, but are not limited to, HYPAQUE(trademark) (which is a tradename of Nycomed Corporation for Diatrizoate Meglumine Inj USP), Acetrizoate Sodium, Bunamiodyl Sodium, Diatrizoate Sodium, Ethiodized Oil, Iobenzamic Acid, Iocarmic Acid, Iocetamic Acid, Iodipamide, Iodixanol, Iodized Oil, Iodoalphionic Acid, o-Iodohippurate Sodium, Iodophthalein Sodium, Iodopyracet, Ioglycamic Acid, Iohexol, Iomeglamic Acid, Iopamidol, Iopanoic Acid, Iopentol, Iophendylate, Iophenoxic Acid, Iopromide, Iopronic Acid, Iopydol, Iopydone, Iothalamic Acid, Iotrolan, Ioversol, Ioxaglic Acid, Ioxilan, Ipodate, Meglumine Acetrizoate, Meglumine Ditrizoate Methiodal Sodium, Metrizamide, Metrizoic Acid, Phenobutiodil, Phentetiothalein Sodium, Propryliodone, Sodium Iodomethamate, Sozoiodolic Acid, Thorium Oxide and Trypanoate Sodium.
In alternative embodiments, radiopaque qualities can be imparted to garments by using a light sheet of radiopaque liner, such as aluminum, or weaving radiopaque metal or metallized threads into the garment. While a surgical mask is provided as one example, the principles of the invention can also be applied to a broad range of other garments including surgical hoods, hospital gowns, gloves, patient drapes, partitions, coverings, etc. In addition, other items, such as an impregnated eye shield, can be attached to or incorporated within the radiopaque garments of the present invention.